Cat Cunningham
by dogs-cats
Summary: Catherine Cunningham, has always had a gift with plants and animals, but has lived in blissful ignorance of the world she's about to be thrown right in the middle of.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N Hey thank you for reading this! I hope you all like it. Comments and **_**_criticism are welcome!_**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own PJO _**

He's doing it again, the thing to that poor plant in the corner. He's absent-mindedly tearing off its leaves. I swear I can feel every pluck as if it were my own limbs being torn off. I look at the clock, five more minuets and study hall will be over. Sighing I force myself to turn my attention back to the notebook in front of me. It only makes the sounds louder. _Rustle, pluck, rustle, pluck, _over and over again. Two more minuets, one more minuet, thirty seconds, the high-pitched ring of the school bell is music to my ears.

The classroom is a whirl, of backpacks, and pent up conversations. The room clears, and I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding. I weave my way through the pulled out chairs, and the occasional forgotten pencil bag, gathering all the fallen leaves. I can sense each broken end. My fingers work on autopilot, selecting the first leaf. I press it to the ripped stem, and wrap my fingers around where they connect. I take a deep breath, and my hand tingles, then I feel the familiar tug in my stomach. I lift my hand off. The leaf is connected again. I set to work on the others. The repetitive motion is almost relaxing, and I find myself humming as I work.

Someone clears their throat behind me. I turn as slowly as possibly. 'Maybe they didn't see,' I think. One look at his face, and I loose all hope. I kind of recognize him. I know I've seen him before, he goes to this school, but he's in the grade above me. He doesn't bother to brush away the blond hair that's fallen in front of his shocking blue eyes. His backpack is strung haphazardly across his shoulder, and his face is full of curiosity, and shock. The silent tension between us seems more like a physical object.

I open and close my mouth, searching desperately for something to say. "I-I- I can explain," I stumble out. He says nothing. We stand there for what seems like hours. Then he stretches out his hand, "Simon Foley; son of Apollo."

'Apo- what?' I take his hand and shake. "Catherine Cunningham…"

"Daughter of Demeter," He interrupts.


	2. Leaving

_**A/N Yay chapter 2! Sorry they're short, they'll probably get longer later on. I hope you like it!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO**_

"So you're saying they're all real?" we're sitting on a park bench. I stroke the sparrow in my hand.

"How do you do that?" Simon questions, gesturing to the bird.

I shrug. "I don't know, they just… come."

He shakes his head. "You not as shocked as I thought you would be."

I sigh. "Oh I'm freaking out. Just on the inside." I really am. He might not notice it but, there's a slight tremble to my hands, and my heart's racing. I mentally flip through all the unexplainable things in my life. Like the person with one eye, the shadows that follow me, the way my dad used to check the door three times every night, before he passed away, the list goes on and on. I can almost hear everything clicking into place. The bird shifts restlessly in my palm then flies off.

Simon stands up, and stretches. "I think we should go."

"Why?" I ask

"We should probably make it to camp before sundown."

I nod. "I need to go get my stuff."

"OK."

My knees shake a bit as I stand. I shake it off, and start walking.

Pulling out the key to my apartment, I think about all I know about Demeter. I don't know much. She's the goddess of the harvest, or something like that?

The door swings open, and I breath in the sweet smell of the honey suckle, I've somehow convinced to grow along my walls.

"Wow." Simon steps in behind me. "It's like a jungle in here."

I shrug. "I like plants." I step around the numerous vines that have spread over the floor. "You can wait over there." I gesture to the couch. If you could call it a couch, it's more like a decorative planter. I never sit on it, and small saplings have sprung from in between the cushions.

I chuckle to myself, as I watch him try to navigate to the seat.

My room is more plant-filled than the rest of the house, and even I have a bit of trouble making my way to my dresser. I pull out the drawers, and stuff clothes into a bag. I shoulder my pack, and survey the room. I decide to take the small potted plant from my bedside table. It hasn't bloomed yet, so I don't know what kind of plant it is. It's almost like waiting to open a present.

I make my way back to the living room. Simon is still trying to find a comfortable position on the couch. He stands up when I walk in, and raises his eyebrows at the plant.

I shrug. "Good luck?"

He nods, and picks up the backpack he had discarded on the floor. I take one last look at the apartment/greenhouse behind me. It's not much, but it's mine. I sigh and the door clicks closed behind me.

We walk down the steps. I stop Simon, "There's something I need to do really quick." I spin on my heels and walk up the stairs of the apartment next to mine, and knock on the door. It slides open. "Mrs. Valdez?"

"Cat! How are you?"

"Great thank you. I'm going to summer camp and I completely forgot to ask someone to water the plants in my house. Would you mind?"

"Of course not honey. You go have fun." She smiles, and shoos me along. I wave, and join Simon on the sidewalk.

I take a deep breath, "Lets go."


	3. Claimed

**_A/N Chapter 3! I hope you like it! Comments, and criticism are appreciated! _**

The taxi rumbles along the pothole-ridden road. The driver cranes his neck over the dashboard, desperately trying to avoid them. A huge hill, and forest come into view. "I'm tellin' ya, there ain't nothing out here."

Simon smiles slightly. "Don't worry we have family on the other side of this hill."

The taxi driver eyes him suspiciously, and then sighs. "Forty dollars please."

Simon hands him the money, and we step out. The taxi spins around and races back down the road.

I look to Simon.

"Humans feel magically repelled from camp. It usually works…except for the occasional lost pizza guy."

I nod, and tighten my grip on my plant. My fingers shake a bit, and I take a deep breath.

I know this isn't a normal camp. I know that I'll be safe once I'm inside. I know that I am absolutely terrified.

Simon nudges my shoulder, and gives me a reassuring smile. "Don't worry they're all good people.

I nod and try to smile back, but I think it comes out as more of a grimace. I take a deep breath and push my feet forward.

The first smell that hits me is strawberries. I smile to myself. I hear the clip-clop of hooves, and spin around. I love horses!

My mouth drops open. Not a horse. Well, I mean part horse? He's human from the torso up, but the rest of him is a horse. He has a beard, and kind old eyes. He smiles at my expression.

"Welcome Catherine. Simon told me you'd be arriving today."

"O-oh just Cat. I mean my name… my nickname's Cat." I stumble out.

He smiles again, and then checks the watch on his left wrist. "I must be going. Simon show her to the Hermes cabin please."

"But Chiron. I think she's apart of the Demeter cabin."

Chiron turns around. "Is that so?"

Simon nods, and then nudges me. "Show him what you can do."

_What I can do? _ I can't really do anything special. Maybe that?

Where are they? I look around. I know they're here. I walk a little ways down, the cabin area. There. I smell them before I see them. Strawberries. I put my hand on the smallest sprout I can find. My skin begins to tingle, then the tug in my stomach, then… the ground beneath the sprout trembles ever so slightly. I close my eyes.

When I open them, sitting in front of me is the strawberry, which is now eight times as big. I place my hand on it again, and it begins to shrink, and shrink, and shrink until it's its normal size. Again that calm feeling envelopes me. I sigh. I look up at Chiron. He nods "Well, I guess Demeter's the most appropriate option.

Simon is just sitting there, he looks pensive. He gestures above my head. I swing my head up just in time to see a fading symbol above my head. It's… a grain of wheat?

Simon nods, and offers his hand to me.

I take it and stand up. He smiles, and I smile back. A real one this time.


	4. Archery

_**A/N Hello! So here's chapter 4. **_

_**It was beta-tested by**_

_**Living. Like. A. Boss **__**(Thank you :)) **_

_**I hope you all like it! Comments, and criticism are appreciated. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO**_

The Demeter cabin is nice. There are plants everywhere, and no one bats an eye when you make the vines stretch out across the room, or make a blanket out of grass, because they're doing the same thing.

"Cat?"

I turn from the plant I'd been tending. It's Simon.

"Hey."

He smiles, and a few of the girls giggle. I turn to Katie Gardner, who I'd befriended recently, and we roll our eyes at each other.

Simon looks a bit awkward. He stuffs his hands into his pockets. "Chiron asked me to teach you some archery."  
I look back at my plant, and then nod reluctantly.

I give a brief goodbye to my siblings, and stand up.

"How's your first week been?" Simon asks.

I smile. "It's been great. There are real live Pegasi here! And the forest is beautiful; so many trees, and flowers, and-" I stop my rambling midway, feeling slightly abashed.

Simon chuckles. "Good."

We walk in comfortable silence the rest of the way.

We arrive at the archery range, and Simon walks over to a row of bows. He doesn't hesitate before selecting an old worn bow, along with a few matching arrows. The bow looks a bit small for him, but he handles it in such a familiar way, that I know it's his favourite.

"Let's get started." He walks up to one of the targets, a traditional red and white circle one, and shifts into position. One hand holds the front of the bow, just under the arrow, with the other hand holding the back. His feet are slightly apart.

He takes a deep breath, pulls back, then releases. The arrow flies through the air, and lands, with a thunk, on the bullseye.

"Wow," I say, impressed.

He looks embarrassed. "Thanks. So, did you see my position? Try mirroring it."

He hands me his bow, and takes a step back.

I try to do what he did.

"Move the bow up a bit more."

I do as he said.

"Good. Now pull back… a bit more. Good."

I release. I would like to say it flew magically into the center of the target. It didn't. It actually landed a good ten feet away.

I look at Simon. He's bright red and shaking, obviously trying to hold back a laugh. He can't take it any longer.

"Oh. My. Gosh," he gasps in between laughs.

"I know, I know." I shove him playfully.

He calms himself down, and has me try again…and again…and again. It finally hits the target on the fortieth try.

I whoop, and do a celebration dance. Simon chuckles. "Come on, a couple more times. I know you can get a bullseye today."

"You have too much faith in me."

I pull back, and take a deep breath. Release. Thunk. It's a little closer this time, not by much, but I'll take it.

"Simon, we've been here for three hours. Could we please go get some food?"

He sighs. "Fine but I'm waking you up early tomorrow to try again."

"Fine."

Dinner is already in full swing by the time we get there. I breathe in the great smells deeply. Mmmmm.  
I pile my plate high with food, and scrape some into the fire. A part of it to Demeter, and another to Apollo (for a little archery luck).

I make my way to the Demeter table, and sit down next to Katie Gardner. We say our hellos.

It seemed like it would be a nice calm dinner as always, until we heard the blood-curdling scream from the other side of camp. It all went downhill from there.


End file.
